The present invention relates to watercraft and specifically to a catamaran-style, recreational watercraft with an adjustable beam.
Canoeing, kayaking, rowing and sailing have long been popular water sports. As healthy, environmentally clean avenues for recreation, their appeal should continue to grow.
Each of the aforementioned water sports employs its own specialized boat-form, so that with new boating interests or changes in boating conditions an individual might need to acquire new craft, increasing financial burden and creating issues related to storage.
Since one of the main factors impacting watercraft performance is the ratio of width or beam to length, a boat constructed to have a variable beam could potentially serve multiple functions and be made to suit a variety of boating conditions. The most straightforward means for creating an adjustable beam is to modify a traditional catamaran-form, so as to allow for the spacing between pontoons or hulls to be deliberately altered by an operator.
There have been many proposed and realized examples of multihulled vessels with adjustable beams. In the majority of cases the inventor's goal has been to enjoy the stability of wide, multihulled craft, while meeting width restrictions related to trailering the boats on roads and highways.
The adjustable beam craft described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,992,444, U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,169, U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,458, U.S. Pat. No. 6,874,440, U.S. Pat. No. 7,628,115, B2, U.S. Pat. No. 6,546,885 B1, U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,259, U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,706, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,426 were drawn toward allowing trailering and reducing storage space requirements. In each of these cases, the watercraft's narrowest configuration was not considered as an operative condition. Further, the apparatuses employed are relatively complex and likely demand mechanical aid in generating the required force to reposition hulls.
Since the desire to reduce boat width has mostly related to transport, little consideration has been given to a narrow or retracted configuration as a functional state.
The design recorded under U.S. Patent 2007/0028830 A1 is one exception. Here the last section of the stern of the craft is bisected forming two small self-contained hull sections separate from the main hull. The small sections are hinged to the larger section in such a way as to allow them to pivot outward, effectively expanding the beam, hence, adding to the stability of the craft. The design is meant to allow for effective paddling from a seated position when the smaller hulls are retracted and fishing from a standing position when expanded.
One drawback of this design is that the relatively small size of the pivoting hulls limits the stability offered. Also problematic, is the complexity of the pivoting mechanism, which is comprised of an arrangement of cables, pulleys, hinges and levers.
Another invention that seeks to exploit the versatility of a watercraft by varying the beam is described in U.S. patent 2003/0213423 A1. In this design, two hull segments may be joined together into one or configured as a two-hulled catamaran using a collapsible frame to separate the hull sections. This craft provides multiple uses and propulsion options, but requires that the operator assemble and disassemble components in order to achieve the desired adjustments.